Best Friends... And So Much More
by CharmingBecca
Summary: AU where Cole (Mortal) and Phoebe have been best friends since forever. But then they realize their true feelings....


Ok, I wrote this really late at night so it might be really bad. I don't have any coffee and I'm probably not thinking clearly. If it sucks that bad, I'll take it off. Scouts honor! And just so you know, the program that I typed this on doesn't have a spell checker so PLEASE do not suggest that I use one... Believe me, I would if I could. (I'm just a bit of a perfectionist.....) Oh, and Merry Christmas, everyone! (Or Happy Holidays.)  
  
Best Friends... And So Much More  
  
Phoebe sat in bed, reading a book that her best friend had told her to read. He knew everything about her; what she liked and how to comfort her. He even knew what Phoebe looked for in a guy. She was amazed that she trusted any guy that much. It was like a rule for her; never trust anyone. It was even more enforced when she had become a witch. But she had known him her entire life, or for as long as she could remember. He knew of her powers and wasn't weirded out by them at all.  
  
She liked spending her spare time with him. He was the best in her eyes. And apparently she wasn't the only one who thought so. Her sisters had always been very suspicous of him, making sure that he never did anything to Phoebe. But when he had saved her from a demon several years ago, they seemed to trust him and let him into their lives. He had been so glad when she had come back to San Fransico.  
  
Yes, there was no doubt about Cole being the best thing in her life. He was great...  
  
There was a doorbell sounding through the old Victorian that was empty aside from the youngest Halliwell. Phoebe slowly got up from her warm spot on the couch. Glancing back she noticed an indent from where her body had once been. She finally made it to the door, opening it with evident caution. She wasn't surprised at all to see the man that was invading her thoughts standing there. Not at all....  
  
"Cole, hey. Come on in. It's raining outside... or at least I think it is."  
  
He smiled sweetly at her, brushing his thick, dark hair back from the rain. "I guess it is." He stepped inside, shaking the excess water loose from his coat. He stripped it off of his body and placed it on the coat wrack that was placed right next to the door. "What are you up to tonight?"  
  
She joined his side as he entered the room that she had come from. "Oh, you know... Just thinking about Skylar. He dumped me."  
  
"Another one?" His eyebrows creased with confusion. He thought that this one might have actually liked her to stick around long enough then a month. "Is there something wrong with you that I don't know about, or something? It seems that you attract guys who are just going to dump you after three weeks."  
  
She smiled breifly. "I guess that Cupid was right. I'm never going to learn to love..... It's almost ironic seeing as how I am the sister who has no trouble getting a date."  
  
"Speaking of sisters... How are yours? And where are they? With the triad out there, shouldn't you all be sticking together?"  
  
"You know way too much about my witchy ways. They're at P3... I guess I sort of knew that you were going to stop by tonight so I stayed home." She stood up, grabbing his hand for reassurance. "I promise that I am fine, Cole." She stood there looking into his eyes for a moment, only confirming her suspicions. She knew that he was scared for her. If anything had happened to her.... "Do you want a drink? I can try and find something to eat." She let go of his hand to brush back a peice of her medium length blonde hair.  
  
He stood next to her, a way of offering help with the food. "Sure. What do you have?" He followed like a loyal puppy dog to the kitchen. "Actual food or junk?"  
  
She called out from the kitchen, "I think that all we have is junk. Sorry.. It was Prue's turn for shopping this week and she isn't exactly a healthy eater."  
  
He finally joined her, watching her scuddle around the room. "Do you think that you have any vegetables? I could make a salad..."  
  
She turned to him, disgust written on her face. "A- you can't cook. B- we don't have any salad dressing. You know how much I hate to eat salad without flavor."  
  
"Some things could be about keeping you healthy instead of just tasting good..." He laughed as he saw her reaching for some pizza bagel bites, pepperoni and not cheese. "You are too predictable."  
  
Her jaw dropped in shock. "I am not!", she protested. She ignored the glare that had been sent to her from him, telling her that she fully knew what he was talking about. "I hate when you are right..."  
  
"No, you don't. You think that it's nice that I have something going for me, remember?"  
  
"Yeah, but you have a job and usually a steady girlfriend. How do you get so lucky with the romance area and not me?"  
  
"Well... You know, you have a lot going for you, too, Pheebs. And you don't need me to tell you that. You have sisters who are more like best friends and someone who cares for you deeply to be there when you are down. I would do anything for you, you know. You and I have been friends forever. And we always will be...." He stopped talking long enough for her to start the microwave. With all the heated discussion of futures, he hadn't paid attention to what she was doing with the food. "Besides, you have a lot of guys twirled around that little finger of yours. Guys who would do anything to be with you..."  
  
"I guess I never thought of it that way." She stopped what she was doing, thoughts rushing through her head about what Cole had just said. She came from a loving, caring enviornment that she took for granted. "What would I do without you?"  
  
He shrugged his shoulders and jokingly said, "I don't know. Probably become more of an independant person."  
  
She playfully slapped his chest, as he had joined her at the microwave. She heard the timer go off and then took out the plateful of pizza topped bagels. "Food... I haven't eaten since lunch!"  
  
"But you were dumped... You always eat when you are upset. Something you aren't telling me?" Now that he thought about, Phoebe hadn't acted different ever since she had started going out with Skylar. She was her normal, happy, perfect self. She never even had to change her schedule to go out with him.  
  
"I guess... I never really cared for him, you know? He just wasn't that important to me and my life. I didn't think that he and I would be going anywhere... It was just fun."  
  
"And you aren't upset?"  
  
"No, I guess not. So, anyway... What's with you and Sandy? Anything new?"  
  
"Umm... I think that she and I are done with. I seem to have a repellant to normal girls. Just get me a coffee house and call me Chandler."  
  
"You actually paid attention?" He looked at her doubtfully, challenging her to ask it again as if he already knew that she didn't want to know the answer to her question. "Oh, never mind."  
  
"That's my girl..." He clicked on the tv and found a show that Phoebe liked to watch in her spare time, not that she had a lot of it to spare. He noticed that her mood had suddenly changed. Wrapping his arms around her, he could tell that it was because she was reminded of the relationship and normal life that she might never have. He tightened his hold around her, rocking her back and forth in a comforting manor. He held her all night long, falling asleep like that.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Cole felt the sunlight hit his face early in the morning. He felt someone on his body, keeping him from getting up or stretching. A closer look at the person told him that it was Phoebe. He smiled at the thought, him and Phoebe sleeping in each other arms at night. He knew that it was only because he was her freind, but he still couldn't help his heart from dancing in joy.  
  
He loved Phoebe. More then anything in the world, he wanted to be hers. He wanted to be the guy that she loved back, the guy that she needed and wanted in her little fantasy world. He knew that they would never be more then just best friends, but he still liked to think that someday they might move up a level. It was a crazy dream that would never happen. He frowned as he took her back into his arms, a place they would only be in his dreams.  
  
"Phoebe... It's morning."  
  
She mumbled somthing that he thought to be translated to, "Just five more minutes..."  
  
"Phoebe, I have to get to work and you have to get to school. You don't have five minutes to spare..."  
  
Phoebe's eyes fluttered open wildly. She realized what was going on suddenly, and flew out of his arms up the stairs. She called back down that she would see him at P3 later, his cue to leave. He was saddened at the quick dismissal, but knew that she was right. They were both probably really late. And he couldn't afford to loose his job, even if it meant sacrifising time with the woman he secretly loved. He grabbed his jacket and left.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Phoebe waited impatiently at the bar, drinking her lime tainted iced water. Her hands pulled at her hair nervously, as if she thought that he really wouldn't show like he had promised. Her sister stopped by, pointing to over her shoulder. Phoebe turned and smiled. She walked over to the enterance of P3, stopping as she reached who she was waiting for.  
  
"Cole.", she whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "I was begining to think that you weren't going to be coming."  
  
"Like I would ever stand you up." He smiled at her as he passed and walked towards the bar. He immediatly found where she had been sitting, drink untouched. He sat down next to the stool that she had clearly been sitting on. "Hey, Piper..."  
  
"Hey, Cole. You know, I love you. We all do, but if you ever make my sister worry like that again I am going to find a spell to hurt you with!" She laughed as she placed a beer in front of him and walked away.  
  
"You didn't really think that I would leave you here all alone, did you?", he asked as he saw her sit down where she once was.  
  
"Well, you are a half hour late. It's not very nice to keep people waiting. You realize that that is going to make for really bad carma, don't you?"  
  
He glared at her, sipping his drink. "You think that I was late on purpose? Some stupid idot went around killing people and then decided to ruin everyone's night by not answering questions." He shuddered at the look that had been passed to him from that creepy guy. "Anyway.... What are you and your sisters up to tonight?"  
  
"Nothing.... Just here. Does it ever change? Seriously, I think that the one thing you associate with us would have to be P3. We never do anything else." She sounded almost as if she were complaining about her lack of social life, he thought. After all, wasn't she the sister that liked being a witch? The one that would do anything for it? "Hellooooo!!! Earth to Cole! Are you in there?" He snapped out of his daze to find Phoebe's hand ciricling in front of his eyes.  
  
"Oh yeah... Sorry, just a little distracted."  
  
She stood up, her dress falling to the ground and straightening out. "Well then. You know what that means, don't you?"  
  
"That I get to go home?", he asked hopefully even though he knew what she was thinking.  
  
"No... That I have to clear you mind, so come on! Dance with me! Please?" She started tugging on his jacket, pulling like a little child. "Come on... Don't you luv me?" (A/N: I put luv because that is the way you spell it when you are talking about a friend.)  
  
He put his drink down and finally stood up. "Fine, but I am not very good and you know it!"  
  
She chuckled as she pulled him onto the dance floor. The second they started dancing, the song changed from a fast beat to a nice, slow, steady beat. Cole wasn't sure if she would still want to dance, but when she put her arms around his neck, he wrapped his around her waist. Her head gently sat upon his chest and he could hear her singing along with the music. He could feel the world around him slow as his heart raced. He didn't even notice when the song changed to fast again.  
  
Phoebe looked up at him, slightly confused why he had pulled away. She was enjoying the nice slow beat that let her wrap her arms around Cole's neck. It wasn't often that she was aloud to actually get close to him. Best friends never did that. She frowned at the thought of being just his 'Best Friend'. Best friend meant that they could never go out, and she wanted to go out with him. She loved him. She heard the song that had taken place of the sweet sound for close dancing.  
  
"That was nice... But I have to go home. See you later, Cole?"  
  
"You're gonna walk home?", he asked, uncertain of her transpertation.  
  
"Ugh.. yeah. That doesn't sound too smart, does it?"  
  
"No, it doesn't. Why don't you go grab your coat and I go start up my car. I'll drive you home."  
  
"But I live out of your way, it will add another half hour to get to your house."  
  
"Yeah, but I would rather be home late then have something happen to you. Come on, it won't take too long to get to your house."  
  
"But I thought that you were tired... Didn't you say something about being tired?"  
  
"Yeah, on the phone this afternoon. Phoebe, you feelin' ok? You can usually keep these things straight."  
  
"I guess just a little... fluttered by something. Let's go home."  
  
"Yeah, I think that would be wise. Come on."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Cole walked nervously around his apartment. He wondered if he would ever have the courage to tell Phoebe how he really felt, or if he was just going to watch her get her heartbroken by the guys that would never be him.  
  
He wondered if Phoebe ever thought of him in the more then friend sorta way. He wanted her to think of him that way. He wanted to hold her more often, he wanted to comfort her when something horrible had happened to her. Not that he wanted something horrible to happen to her, just that he wanted to be the one to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be ok. But most of all, he wanted to kiss her.  
  
He started at those lips for hours on end. They were so full, so tasty looking. He knew that they were full of passion that irrupted on the men that came into her life. Something that he would never have the pleasure of giving back himself. He would never be that guy to kiss and hug all night to her.  
  
He had thought of many ways that he would tell her that he loved her, his favorite being knocking frantically on the door in the rain. She would rush to open the door, be surprised to see her and offer to let him in. He would refuse, claiming that he was only there to tell her one thing- that he loved her. She would tell him that she loved him back, bringing her lips to his too fast to understand what she was saying. He would enter the house and.....  
  
He snapped back to reality, hearing a knocking on the door. He walked over to the door and hoped that it was Phoebe, hear to tell him that she loved him. But when he opened the door, he was surprised to see her cousin who had come to town for a couple of weeks. He let her in, thinking that he was being polite. He had no idea what was really on Mandy's mind.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Phoebe sat on her bed in her room thinking about Cole. She wanted so badly for him to be there with her, holding her and telling her that he cared more then she thought. She wanted him to tell her that he loved her so she could say that she loved him, too. She wanted to kiss him and hold him tightly, never letting him go.  
  
She heard the song that they had danced to earlier that night hit the air in her room. She knew right then that she couldn't take it anymore. She didn't want another night without him there, without his arms tightly wrapped around her waist, telling her that she was safe. She quickly left her bed, along with the room, and borrowed Prue's car without asking. She drove over to Cole's house, hoping that he hadn't gone back to P3 without her.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"So... Mandy, you want a glass of water?", Cole asked furious. Mandy kept refusing everything that he offered and she wouldn't tell him why she was there. He was begining to get annoyed with her, fifteen minutes and she was still staying quiet.  
  
"No, that's ok..."  
  
"Mandy, why are you here?", he finally asked. "Did something happen?"  
  
"No.. I just wanted to spend more time with you." She scooted towards where he was sitting on the couch. "You know, I go back home in a couple of days and you and I don't know each other very well..."  
  
"That's because I work a lot and Phoebe and I spend all of our free time together."  
  
"Oh, forget about her. She is standing in the way."  
  
He stood up, trying to get away from the cousin. "In the way of what?"  
  
She stood up, placing her hands on his chest. She kissed his neck gently, long and slow. The way that Cole wanted Phoebe to kiss him. "In the way of us, silly..." She moved her kisses to his cheek, then slowly to his lips, the way he saw Phoebe kiss her boyfriends. He seemed to be giving into her, thinking of Phoebe the entire time. But then when he heard his dood open, he tore away. He looked to the front of his apartment, about to yell at someone for just barging into his apartment. When he saw who it was, he pushed Mandy away.  
  
"Phoebe..."  
  
"How could you?", she sputtered. "I thought that you were my friend..." Tears started falling freely from her eyes. She whispered one last, "How could you.." before running out the door.  
  
Mandy grabbed Cole's arm, telling him to let her go. But Cole ran after Phoebe anyway. He heard the elevator door open and saw her step inside. He quickly ran down the stairs, reaching the bottom floor before her. He made it to the elevator just as she was stepping off. He pushed her back inside and pushed a button for the very top floor, giving him plenty of time.  
  
"Phoebe... I am so sorry. She came on to me and I was just..."  
  
"You just what? Forgot that she was my cousin? Forgot that I was your best friend? What? What did you forget?"  
  
"I kinda was thinking of this girl that I really, really like. I mean, this girl that I love."  
  
"Why are you telling me this? Can't you see that I love you? That I want to be that girl that you hold at night and not Suzie, Mandy, Cindy, Lisa..." She stopped yelling and started crying harder, about to fall to the floor.  
  
Cole caught her just before she fell. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, preventing her from leaving his arms. He quickly place his lips upon hers, too possesive to be sweet yet it was. He forced all his wanting onto her, all the passion that he felt for her came out of him and landed on her. His kiss was dizzying, and almost violent. He felt her returning the passion, her tounge slithering and darting around his. He tore away, ready to tell her how he felt.  
  
"Phoebe, I love you... I always have and always will. I want you to be that person who I hold all night long. I don't want to ever loose you." He felt her relax in his arms. And just as he was getting comfortable having her in his arms and his chin resting up her head, the door to the elevator opened.  
  
Phoebe looked up at him, innocence written on her face. "I love you, Cole Turner."  
  
"I love you, Phoebe Halliwell."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
After Cole had kicked Mandy out of his apartment, Phoebe gladly helping, Phoebe spent the night. She and him kissed once more, their passion for each other finally coming out. He started tugging on the bottom of her shirt, wanting her, but only if she wanted it, too. She unbuttoned his shirt, tearing it away from his skin. She helped him take off her shirt, followed by her bra and soon her skirt. He knew that she wanted this as much as he did, and so he gave in. He fell onto the couch, unable to wait long enough for his bed, and made love to her all night long....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Cole woke up the next morning naked on his couch. He felt Phoebe in his arms, and he never wanted to get up. He started stroking her blonde hair, feeling it's softness and smelling the coconutty shampoo that she used when she showered. He felt her eyes flutter open and grabbed her hand.  
  
"Good morning, my love." He kissed her shoulder.  
  
"Good morning... Sleep ok?", she asked.  
  
"I slept great. You?"  
  
"Never better." She stayed silent for a few moments, just letting his hands wander wherever they wanted to go. Some places tickeled, like her stomach. But then when he kissed her, anywhere, she felt love flutter once again. "Cole?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You aren't ever going to leave me, right?"  
  
"I wouldn't ever dream of it. I never want to be without you ever again."  
  
"So you liked last night?"  
  
"Only the any time that I was with you." He heard her giggle, but then he turned serious. "Promise me you won't get killed? I couldn't stand it if you ever died. I can't ever leave you again. I would die..."  
  
"I promise..." They kissed once more, basking in their new found romance. She smile brillantly for the next week or so, completely lost in her new found heaven....  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The End  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Now wasn't that sweet? 


End file.
